A government, philanthropic and community partnership to remove barriers to voting in diverse communities.

King County Elections and Seattle Foundation will award a total of $460,000 in grants to community-based organizations to provide either an ongoing campaign or events focused on one or more of the following:

Voter education or outreach informing underrepresented voters about how voting works in King County, such as who is eligible to vote, what is vote-by-mail, and democracy 101.

Voter registration activities where underrepresented communities work, play or connect.

Nonpartisan opportunities for communities to come together and educate themselves about what’s on the ballot.

Culturally appropriate technical assistance in navigating the voting process, such as helping voters change their address or language preference.

Who should apply?

Any organization that works to reduce inequities in voting access in historically marginalized communities. This includes, but is not limited to, those serving communities of color, limited English speaking communities, people with disabilities, low-income youth, veterans, the homeless and reinstated voters who have been convicted of a felony.

We are prioritizing applications that are:

Are led and staffed by individuals reflecting the ethnic and cultural communities being served; and

Have a history or demonstrated ability to reach, convene and engage members from the communities they serve, especially as it relates to voting access.

Have a plan for engaging first time voters, young people of color, individuals experiencing homelessness or people convicted of a felony.

All activities must:

Create community interest in participating in elections and voting.

Be non-partisan, free and open to all members of the public.

All applicants must be open and inclusive, actively engage diverse community members who live in King County.

Occur within King County limits.

Type of funding available

There are two levels of funding within the Voter Education Fund:

Campaign Level – Up to $20,000

Organization provides an ongoing campaign with a variety of approaches to engage voters or potential voters in the community.